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The Flip Side Of Internet Fame Analysis

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The Flip Side Of Internet Fame Analysis
Posts on the Internet Can Last Forever
There are many problems that can result from postings on the Internet. These range from humiliation to unfounded accusations and more. In her essay “The Flip Side of Internet Fame,” Jessica Bennett details problems that some people have experienced as a result of postings that others have made. She describes problems that happen because some websites permit anonymous posts. She also gives examples from the past that show some of the histories of public shaming. Bennett wants people to be aware of these problems, to understand why they are difficult to prosecute, and that they can remain online for a long time.
The essay begins with Ghyslain Raza, a Canadian teenager from Canada who once filmed himself acting out a fight scene from a “Star Wars” movie using a homemade light saber. In the video, Raza is a chubby teen who is very …show more content…
The young man from Oregon who was accused of rape hired a lawyer, but a Google search for his name still turns up listings with the word “rapist.” Ghyslain Raza’s family sued the student who posted the “Star Wars Kid” video after the entire family went through therapy because of the incident. The family settled their lawsuit out of court. Bennett ends her essay with the warning, “If the ‘Star Wars Kid’ has anything to teach us, it’s that shame, like the force, will always be with you” (581).
This essay by Jessica Bennett details some very specific examples of people who have been shamed on the Internet and the problems they have endured because of it. There is very little recourse for the victims, Bennett says, because many sites encourage such behavior by guaranteeing anonymity. Living under the cloud of such humiliation is painful in many ways, and the postings themselves can go on forever. The lesson from this essay is to be careful what you post because you or someone else may regret it for a long
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